‘Goodness Garden’ creating a fresh space for residents

Residents at a Buderim aged care home have been busy transforming outdoor spaces into what they call their ‘Goodness Garden’, growing their own fruit, vegetables and flowers.

Bolton Clarke’s Buderim Views team started the project to reduce food wastage and provide a space for residents, family and friends to enjoy.

“It’s been an amazing project so far and we have been focusing on the edible garden,” Buderim Views Lifestyle Coordinator Golzy said.

“Many of our residents have been really involved with maintaining it. We now also have Silkie chickens and guinea pigs to manage the food wastage and promote growth of our plants - they are also becoming very popular around the home in a therapeutic way.

“We are growing everything from lettuce and eggplants to strawberries, tomatoes and herbs which either go into the kitchen to be cooked into meals or residents will pick what they want, wash it and have it fresh with their meals.

“A lot of families have been bringing the grandchildren and great grandchildren to visit residents and they spend their time out in the garden exploring.”

The Goodness Garden project has been supported by the local Buderim Foundation donating $10,000 to the home to bring the garden to life, with the chickens donated by a local farmer.

For resident Dianna, rarely a day goes by that she isn’t out spending time in the garden.

“That’s my happy place as my kids call it, because once I’m out there, you can’t get me back in a hurry!” Dianna said.

“Everyone here was quite excited to start the garden and I love watching everything grow.

“I have been getting out there quite regularly to see how the flowers and veggies are going.”

With the garden now in full swing, the home is now seeking volunteers from the community to assist with garden maintenance, chicken grooming and even guinea pig ‘hairdressing’.